Archbishop Iakovos continues to receive enormous grants

Ekklisia - April 25, 1998

To All Faithful of Our Church

Brothers and Sisters,

I was appalled to read in Mr. Laertis’ recent letter to the Greek American community that former Archbishop Iakovos, receives $500,000 annually from the Archdiocese. Intrigued with this information I did some inquiries only to discover that he indeed receives this exorbitant amount, a regular pension as well as all his house and car expenses paid by the Archdiocese.

If all this is true then what is our church doing about this? No faithful would or could accept these facts as necessary, for, as we all know, our Church cannot sustain herself properly and is in deficit year after year. Many of our Greek Orthodox faithful would like to know when, how and who decided that such enormous grants be given out for Iakovos’ private life, thus doing an enormous injustice to our Church.

If a great mistake was made by some people who happened to be on the former Archibishops’ executive boards, it is now high time to rectify their provocative and unacceptable favoritisms and offer our church all the means necessary to expand, grow and flourish, instead of purposely condemning her to stagnation. If Iakovos’ close friends, as is their right, wanted to offer him the means to live like a king, then why, since most of them are millionaires, did they or do they not reach into their own heavy pockets, instead of depriving the church of these important means to carry out her vital ministries?

How can the faithful of the Church allow all this to continue any further? How much more must our church suffer by these actions? Is it not a sin to keep silent and allow our Church to fall into marasmus? Should we not all offer our Church the opportunity to be a real Church, instead of a Church that exits to serve a few?

Sam Paphiotes, Senior Citizen
25 Russell Street Cambridge,
Mass. 02139

[ Ekklisia - www.ekklisia.org/elet-4-25.htm - April 25, 1998 ]